Gilbert Rohde and Herman Miller, Inc.
Vanity
1938
Scroll
Physical Qualities
East Indian rosewood, sequoia-burl veneers, ebonized plywood, vinyl-coated fabric, brass, brass-plated steel, mirrored glass, plastic, 50 x 51 x 16 in. (127 x 129.5 x 40.6 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Michael and Anis Merson, Baltimore
Object Number
2000.226
Three circular mirrors reflected various angles for the fashionable woman who once dressed at this vanity. Marketing to women in the growing upper-middleincome households of the 1940s, the sales catalogue for this piece emphasized the glamour of designer Gilbert Rohde’s new materials, describing how “the Plexiglas used for the pulls is a crystal-clear plastic that catches highlights with the brilliance of a diamond.” This vanity was part of a suite of matching bedroom furniture mass-produced by the Herman Miller company.
AMW Reinstallation 2014
American Wing Rotations 2020
American Wing Rotations 2021
American Modernism Reinstallation
American Wing Rotations 2023
American Wing Rotations 2024
American Wing Rotations 2025
Ross, Phyllis, Gilbert Rhode: Modern Design for Modern Living, Yale University Press, 2009, Fig. 137, p. 176
Benskin, Elizabeth, and Suzy Wolffe. Teacher's Guide to the American Collection. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Museum of Art, 2014, pages 71 and 77.
On View at the BMA
Explore the Collection Further
